Did Soren route money via bizmen? 

RANCHI:  The Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted before Jharkhand High Court that prima facie it has been found during investigations that money laundering was done through shell companies and that it was being sent to top authorities. 

Former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) treasurer Ravi Kejriwal, during interrogation, has disclosed names of some companies like Nirman Pvt Ltd, Gayatri Pvt Ltd, Shiv Mangal Vinyam, and Vashundhara Pvt Ltd, informed the ED.

“Prima facie it appears that money was being laundered through shell companies and the money was being sent to the authorities sitting at the top,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said.  Appearing on behalf of ED, Mehta told the Court that several companies were used for parking crores of rupees, and investments were made in hotels and restaurants. 

The Court was hearing the PIL related to the mining lease to CM Hemant Soren, allegations of money laundering, and involvement of suspended mining secretary Pooja Singhal in the Khunti MGNREGA scam.

According to the PIL filed by RTI activist Shiv Shankar Sharma, Soren and his brother, Basan invested black money through businessmen Ravi Kejriwal, Ramesh Kejriwal, Amit Agrawal and others in 28 shell companies to get them converted into white money. 

The court deferred the hearing till May 19. The court also wondered that while Singhal was arrested on the charge of money laundering and later suspended, why did the state government not take any legal action against her. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, on behalf of Jharkhand government, said that the investigation of the MGNREGA scam cannot be handed over to the CBI as there is no FIR.

Sibal was informed by petitioner’s advocate, Rajiv Kumar, that 16 FIRs were lodged in this regard in 2010 on the basis of which ED is investigating the case. The court directed the state government to submit the details of all the 16 FIRs. Meanwhile, the court also sought explanation from Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan about the capacity in which Ranchi Deputy Commissioner filed the affidavit regarding the stone mining lease issued to Soren.